The present invention relates generally to solar heating systems and more particularly to a self-contained passive solar heating system which utilizes heat pipes to effect the transfer of heat therethrough.
In view of the rising costs and dwindling supplies of conventional non-renewable energy sources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, there is a need for new alternative heating systems that are technically feasible and economically competitive without depleting our natural resources. The sun affords a vast and virtually inexhaustible source of energy and many such heating systems have been developed to date which employ a solar collector and a storage tank with mechanically forced fluid circulation therebetween. A disadvantage of such systems is the requirement of energy from a conventional source for circulating fluid through the solar collector. Heat pipes have heretofore at least experimentally been employed in solar collectors but no known system has yet been developed wherein solar energy is both collected and transferred to storage by the utilization of heat pipes.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved self-contained passive solar heating system.
Another object is to collect solar energy and transfer it to a storage unit using one or more heat pipes in a totally passive mode.
Another object is to provide a passive solar heating system wherein heat is transferred from the condenser portion of one heat pipe to the evaporator portion of another heat pipe.
Another object is to provide a passive solar heating system which includes heat pipes having a shape which renders them relatively easy to manufacture and suitable for installation in compact heating system modules.
A related object is to provide a passive solar heating system which includes heat pipes having a generally flat shape.
Another object of the invention is to provide a passive solar heating system which uses heat pipes to collect heat and transfer it to storage with higher efficiency than a conventional active system on cloudy days.
Another object is to provide a passive solar heating system utilizing heat pipes which are coupled in a manner to prevent heat loss from storage due to reverse transfer of heat through the system.
Another object of the invention is to provide a passive solar heating system in which a heat pipe operates as a thermostat to sense the temperature of a medium to be heated and control the rate of heat transfer to the medium.
Finally, an object is to provide a passive solar heating system which is economical to manufacture, simple in construction and efficient in operation.